MOOR OTTERS PROJECT RAISES THOUSANDS FOR DARTMOOR

The Moor Otters project to raise money for Dartmoor National Park has been a resounding success with people from all over Europe coming to Dartmoor to seek out the beautifully painted otters.

Launched in June, the Moor Otters project positioned 101 otter sculptures in various locations across Dartmoor and surrounding towns. The public arts initiative aims to raise £100,000 in support of Dartmoor National Park.

The whole project has captured the imagination of thousands of people who have been darting from place to place across Dartmoor. The otter spotting project has seen people who live on Dartmoor travelling to other parts of the moor that they have never seen before. All this has helped the economy of the towns and villages.

After receiving thousands of entries from across Europe, the team behind the Moor Otters project has announced the lucky winners of the Otter Spotter competition.

Over 3,500 ‘Otter Spotters’ have been seeking out the artistic life-sized otter statues to be in with a chance of winning. Participants had to list the names and codes of 20 or more otters to be entered into the draw with the chance to win a range of prizes.

Harvey Camsell won first prize, a one night family stay at the Moorland Garden Hotel with dinner. Decorated in various styles by a range of internationally-renowned artists, the otter sculptures have welcomed thousands of visitors from across Europe. Entries have flooded in from across the UK, Spain, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France and Switzerland.

Dave Southern, Project Manager for the Moor Otters campaign, said: “We had thousands of entries from across Europe which just goes to show how successful the Moor Otters project has been. It’s amazing to know that the project and the work behind it is being recognised internationally.”

After spending over three months delighting visitors to Dartmoor National Park and the surrounding area, all 101 Moor Otters have been rounded up, ready to go to their new homes. Art lovers bid on the 31 ‘Golden Otters’, a selection of themed otters, at the auction by fine art auctioneers Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood. The main collection of 70 sculptures were auctioned online, with the bidding closing at 6pm on Wednesday 4th October.

Proceeds from the auction will fund projects to conserve and enhance Dartmoor’s wildlife and landscape, improve accessibility to the moor and develop Dartmoor’s Junior Ranger programme, which supports educational access and engages young people in conservation projects.

The Golden 31

Ottery St Mary by Judi Spiers £750

Decoration of Buntings by Maria Burns £1400

Fishy Otter by David Brooke £750

Mondri-Otter by Natalie Bell £1000

Stevie (Wonder) Otter Than July by Sean Hewitt £460

Flying Otter by Jed Falby £430

Tarka’s World by Sophie Cobb £1200

Wistman’s Woody by John Hurford £1350

Bass the Otter by Adrian Brough £1250

Elementary my Dear Otter by Anne L Roe £5300

The Fisherman by James Lester £660

Bumbershoot by Vin Jelly £1450

Making an Otter Spectacle of Myself by Jonathon Xavier Coudrille £880

River Otter Familiar by Sean Jefferson £1250

Potter Otter by Rachel Shilston £1300

Mr Chips by Tina Morgan £1750

Coming up for Air by Alan Bourne £1050

The Beacon by Michael Beach £2500

An Otter for all Seasons by Alan Cotton £1350

Nature’s Flow by Nisha Grover £650

Henry Harlequin Hotter by Martin Dutton £2200

Ottery Otter by Phil Creek £950

The Compleat Angler by Martin Procter £520

Otterly Alice by Peter Poole £420

Otto by Tony Williams £820

Feet on the Ground Head in the Clouds by Charlie O’ Sullivan £2500

Flora Otter by Penny Silverthorne £550

Koi Otter by Jenny Pery £420

Murmuration by Anita Reynolds £1000

Jail Bird by Stuart Wright £1500

Duchy of Cornwall Otter by Marcus Cornish commissioned by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales £3000